Wallace's Lists

by Barbara Bottner, Olof Landstrom

Wallace, a mouse, could do almost anything. Anything that is, as long as he had a list.Wallace is a shy mouse. He writes lists. Lists of recipes, funny words, and frightening experiences. Wallace meets his lively neighbor named Albert. His world is swiftly opened to new delights, such as painting and music. Wallace and Albert experience the excitement of an adventure, and Wallace discovers a new joy. Friendship.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Fantasy, Adventure, Animals, Writing

40 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Barbara Bottner, New York Times best-selling author, is a screenwriter, TV writer, and writing coach, who began her multi-hyphenate career as an artist and actor. Designing off-Broadway sets in the ’60s led her to performance and following her career in theatre, she began writing and illustrating books for children. In total, she has written over 40 books in all areas of children’s literature including Young Adult, Middle Grade, chapter, and "I Can Reads". Several of her award-winning picture books have been animated and translated into multiple languages.

Reviews

[Lovisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Är på fest och såg den här boken i bokhyllan o återupptäckte varför det är den bästa finaste gulligaste roligaste jävla boken som nånsin skrivits. Jag älskar och hatar Lennart. Hans listor formade min barndom. Men ännu mer älskar jag Albert, alla behöver en Albert i sitt liv. För allt är roligare med äventyr och allt löser sig!!!!!!! Har du ångest? Läs Lennarts listor. Den kommer förändra hela din hjärna och din frontallob kommer växa med 5 centimeter. Är du Albert, ta din Lennart i handen och gå på äventyr, Lennart gör det inte själv. P.S Det går alldeles utmärkt att laga löksoppa på bara 2 lökar istället för 3, amen. Puss och godnatt.

[Abby D · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid list maker, this book really resonated with me. Such a sweet book about how we can't control every aspect of our lives, and sometimes the best things that happen aren't on any lists at all. But who says you can't add them to a list afterwards...? :)

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet book about giving up comforts for your friend’s benefit 🙌💝

[Katie Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Wallace, a mouse who cannot function without his lists. When Wallace meets Albert, he begins to realize that some spontaneity can be a good thing.
I would use this book in my classroom to talk about how adventures don't always have to be planned, cost money, or even be an over-the-top kind of vacation; instead, I would encourage my students to make their own adventures in what they have. I would then have my students illustrate their greatest adventure thus far in their life.

[Gordon Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wallace's Lists is a book where the little mouse Wallace always makes a list. If it's not on his list, he doesn't do it. However, when Wallace meets Albert, a spontaneous mouse, he has an adventure at the airport which is completely against his nature! This was a fun read. The illustrations match the playfulness of the text. This book promotes a little spontaneity in everyone's life, which is a good message. I would recommend this in any classroom, especially if one could tie in a list theme.

[Dylan & Belle at LearnPlayFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated and reviewed Dylan, age 7

It's about a mouse who wanted to use lists and maps. He found a new friend. He used to not like adventures but in the end he does like adventures. My favorite part was at the airport, saving his friend. I liked the airplanes. I liked how they drew them.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. I think it could help people who aren't obsessive about lists understand why some of their friends struggle being spontaneous. Wallace didn't say "hi" to his new neighbor "because saying hi wasn't on his list." This may seem a little ridiculous, but really, social anxiety can work that way-- I want to be friends, but I need a "head's up" so I can mentally prepare myself for being with people. That doesn't mean I don't want to hang out... I just need a little more planning than most.

But, at the end, Wallace learns and grows, too. And he is willing, for the sake of his friendship, to get way outside his comfort zone and have "an adventure". Maybe running through the rain without your raingear and navigating a crowded airport doesn't SEEM like an adventure to you, but to him, this was BIG. And his friend recognized that and appreciated him for it. And now Wallace is a little more willing to try spontaneous things. Maybe someday he WILL go to some of those places on his list.

Also, I love onion soup.

[Ellen McKeown]

To put this delightful picture book into adult language: Wallace is a shy mouse with obsessive-compulsive disorder who can’t do anything unless it is on one of his lists. When he meets a new neighbor, Albert, he can’t talk to him until he puts it on his to-do list the next day. Albert, on the other hand, is much more of a free spirit who sees life as a big adventure. The way that these two mice are gentle with each other and become friends is very interesting and sweet. Albert learns to use a map occasionally, while Wallace discovers that things don’t always have to go exactly according to plan. I heard about this book at an ICN for new books of 2004. I couldn’t resist reading it with the number of obsessive-compulsive people I know.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two mice one only does things on his list; the other by whatever he thinks will be fun. They quickly become friends and although it's not on his list Wallace becomes worried about his friend when the storms come and knowing his friend would be in the middle of it in his airplane. So he goes against his list and goes in search of him. Finding out that having fun and making memories are more important than having a list for everything. A fun story to read. I read this out loud to my adult special needs son and he giggled and smiled throughout this story.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I grow older I am becoming so much like Wallace, not the list-making so much but the afraid of adventure characteristic. Even those this theme has been done a lot, I still like seeing new explorations of it. I don't think I'll ever be lucky enough to have a friend like Albert, but I do agree that a crisis brings out the best in me. And I like the idea of creating a list after the fact. (Maybe, for example, creating a list in the evening of what got done, instead of a to-do list?)

[Susan Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny, cute book about a little mouse, Wallace, who always has to follow his lists. Until the day he meets fun-loving Albert, who isn’t afraid to take chances. Great story about friendship & risk-taking. (Library)

[Elizabeth Prows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wallace is a mouse who always has to have a list of what he's going to do in the day...until he meets his new friend, Albert. Albert is very adventurous and never had a plan or list. They go on an adventure and it makes Wallace realize that life doesn't have to be super structured.

[Shahd Rdawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

📀 story

[Martin Bensch · Rating 4 out of 5]

En dunderfavorit som jag ofta tipsat föräldrar om. Väldigt rolig att läsa högt, så jag har längtat till mina egna barn har blivit gamla nog att höra den.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to read with kids who don't like unexpected changes in schedules and routines.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much! Such a charming story about making a new friend and having an adventure. The illustrations have a very old-school feel, which adds to the charm.

[Camilla Rönnholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jag vet inte om jag eller barnen tyckte mer om den här. Men igenkänningsfaktorn hög! Fin berättelse!

[Pamela Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended this story with a huge smile on my face! Wallace lives by his lists, but when a new neighbor moves in, who lives more freely, Wallace learns to have adventures. Such a cute book!

[Ilenuca · Rating 4 out of 5]

En bok om ångest och OCD, om att ta risker och att acceptera någon annolunda.

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wallace goes on an adventure to find his friend Albert. The two end up on an adventure together and it ends with some onion soup.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes friends are the ones to help you realize what you've got, and to get you to step out of your shell.

[Petie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the cutest book ever about unlikely friends.

[Sarah]

Cute

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids really liked this book. Sweet. Tender.

[Megan Cureton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wallace's Lists was a great book about a mouse that literally had/made a list for every single thing he did each day. If it wasn't written on the list, then Wallace wasn't doing it. One day, he didn't even say hello to his new neighbor because it wasn't written on his list. He eventually speaks to his new neighbor and finds out that his new friend is very adventurous and likes to try new things. They start to hangout more and more. They start to become close and plan to have an adventure to a special place Wallace wants to visit. Wallace has found out that friendship is more important that making lists all the time and start enjoying life. I like that the moral of the story is telling kids that it is okay to try new things and to be flexible. When stuff doesn't always go the way you want it to, you just have to roll with it and overcome the situation. The illustrations on each page were very nice and detailed. I thought that the images were appropriate for how much text was on each page and the images followed the text very well. The images were portrayed very nicely and you could almost look at the picture and know what was going on and you wouldn't have to read the text. I think the younger children would enjoy this book more and have more fun with it, but the moral of the story is good for all ages, because every one needs to know that it is okay to try new things and to be flexible.

[Mycala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder if there was intention in the name of our list-making friend. I can't help but wonder, considering Irving Wallace and his Book of Lists. Coincidence or not, this is a cute story. In recent years, I have received some profound messages from children's books. (Tear Soup and Sunny Side Up come to mind immediately!)

As a lover of lists, I found some things in common with Wallace. Of course, as it's a children's book, they're a little heavy-handed on those of us list-makers. We are nervous, quiet, know nothing of music or culture, and apparently we won't do anything unless we wrote it on our list first thing in the morning. Also, watching clothes roll around the dryer is a real good time. Of course, if you're not a list-maker, you will do dangerous things like teeter on top of a step ladder with a power tool like Albert, Wallace's new neighbor.

It may be a little heavy-handed at the beginning, but this is an adorable book that shows the importance of compromise and stepping out of one's comfort zone in order to meet new people and maybe even make a friend.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wallace is a mouse who does everything according to his list. He makes lists of everything! One day, he meets another mouse named Albert who he wants to become friends with. Albert loves changing his mind, not following lists, and going on crazy mouse adventures! When Albert decides to go on an unsafe adventure by himself, Wallace goes way outside of his comfort zone, and saves his friend. When Wallace gets home, he has a great list to make of all his adventures, and another list of his best friend: Albert.
This is such a sweet book, and I would recommend it to everyone regardless of their age! As a fellow list-maker, I feel Wallace's struggles. Well, maybe not to his extreme, but in a sense. He never strays from his list, and I think that's something everyone deals with. Sometimes in life, we get so used to our routines that we forget to have super awesome adventures! This book tugged at my heartstrings. :]

[Jaime Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wallace was a mouse that had a list for EVERYTHING. If it wasn't on the list, Wallace couldn't do it. So one day, he runs into his new neighbor, Albert. Albert is the exact opposite of Wallace. He loves adventures and does whatever he wants whenever he wants to. Throughout the story, Wallace becomes more and more adventurous and even shows Albert a good time. In the end, Wallace still made lists, but his favorite list was his one that had Albert on it; his best friend list. The point of view of this story is narrative mode and the main ideas of this story is friendship and adventure. I would recommend this book. It was fun to read and the format of the book is fun. I didn't love the book but I did like what you can take from the story. This book will teach children to have fun and be adventurous.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wallace's List is about a mouse named Wallace. Wallace can only do what is on his list. One day his neighbor says hi to him but Wallace is unable to say hi, although he wants to, because it is not on his list. Wallace makes a new list so that he can go say hi to his neighbor. The story continues and Wallace wants to become friends with his neighbor but of course,this is not on his list. Wallace ends up learning that it is okay to do things that are not on his list. This is a great book to teach students how to be flexible. My practicum teachers used it with her 3rd and 5th grade students in their social skills class. The kids loved it!

[Ina Silverness]

Wallace's Lists is about a mouse named Wallace who makes lists about everything and does not stray off of his list. He meets another mouse named Albert who is very adventurous and does not make lists.

Wallace's Lists could be used during the first week of school to show students that every one is unique and no two people are the same. It could also be used during Social Studies when showing transportation or Geography. It could be used for students who may have trouble with organization to learn the skill of making lists. An extension of having the students make their own lists could be used as well.